Seu coração é uma porta aberta?

The Lord recently burdened my heart to bring a message on this. You can listen to it here:

Seu coração é uma porta aberta? (Note: keep clicking on the subsequent links from Google to download it.)

Is Jesus’ heart an open door to us?

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.” ~ Revelation 3:7-8

Notice that Jesus is like us in this regard: he wants to know that there is some integrity in us spiritually before he will open the very depths of his heart’s door. We must keep his word and not deny his name.

So if he has opened his heart to you, have you opened your heart to him? Note the following scripture is talking to people who have become “lukewarm” in their love towards Christ. Jesus does not want a lukewarm love, he wants an open, very passionate love!

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” ~ Revelation 3:19-22

So, have you opened the door of your deepest love to Jesus Christ?

A passionate love is one that is willing to suffer for Jesus’ sake and the Gospel’s! The true gospel of Jesus Christ is an open and passionate one! It is the spiritual love song of the heart!

There is a well known song that expresses to us how that a passionate love cannot be kept secret:

“Once I had a secret love that lived within the heart of me …oh too soon my secret love became impatient to be free- …so I told a friendly star the way that dreamers often do- just how wonderful you are- and why I’m so in love with you- now I shout it from the highest hill- even told the golden daffodils …at last my heart’s an open door- and my secret love’s no secret anymore”

Is your love for Jesus a secret? Sinners have lots of selfish loves that they keep secret because of the shame associated with it. But the devil would try to make us ashamed to show our love for Christ!

True Christianity is the only religion that will fully open your heart to divine love! It is a religion of love that cannot be contained and flows from the heart in songs of praise and expressions of gratitude! 10,000s of praise and heart love songs in Christianity, but good luck finding one in: Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc.

But do you recognize Jesus when he is knocking?

“Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” ~ Matthew 25:44-46

Do you only open your heart to those of your own friends and family?

“For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others ? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” ~ Matthew 5:46-48

“Hereby perceive we the love of God , because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” ~ 1 John 3:16-18

An open heart is passionate about whom they love. If you are not passionate about something, it is the clear identifier that your heart is closed to that person or persons! In Acts when their hearts were open, they were passionately engaged in meeting the needs of one another.

“And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.” ~ Acts 4:32-35

A passionate person towards the need of another will answer when they are called. So Jesus knocks and calls for the passionate heart of those claiming to be married to him and his purpose.

Not willing to open up your heart to Christ and his purpose? Careful where you let your heart go: especially today!

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” ~ Romans 1:21-22

Suffering griefs are the way the Lord has chosen for us to open our hearts in a greater way of compassion and empathy for the needs of others. If we disobey the Lord in this, the alternative is we become bitter!

Jesus himself learned this way!

“For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.” ~ Hebrews 2:16-18

God his Father choose suffering and the classroom of sacrificial love even for his own Son!

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” ~ Philippians 2:5-8

Learned obedience by suffering. His passion for us went very deep! Are we disobedient to learn to open up our heart that way?

“Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” ~ Hebrews 5:7-14

If You Are not passionate enough to suffer, then you don’t learn deep understanding and discernment and you stay spiritual babe’s.

Notice discernment is not just for evil, but also to discern good things like: the need for longsuffering, the need for patience, the need for forgiveness, the need to love enemies, the need for compassion.

If we are not willing to let God open our hearts by suffering, then the next step may be to become bitter!

“Follow peace with all men , and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you , and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.” ~ Hebrews 12:14-16

Do you see God only as an austere God?

Austere – severe or strict in manner, attitude, or appearance.

If you have not opened you very hearts door to him and his sacrificial love that reaches out – but rather have served God as if he was austere, then he will be austere to you!

“And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?” ~ Luke 19:20-23

You don’t close up and limit what God chooses to do with you because of how you feel you are lacking in talent and resources. It is the gift of his Holy Spirit that works mightily in you, not your intellect, personality and resources. God has always chosen to work through weakness. If that is how you feel about yourself, open up your heart and see what he will do!

If you feel pretty confident about your talents and resources, your probably putting them to use – for your purpose, not God’s. God will have to break your heart open if you are ever to become of great value to his sacrificial love purpose!

Maybe God has already been working on breaking your heart open? Are you resisting in your grief and closing up? Have you been closed up for years, hardening to the sacrificial love promptings of the Spirit, and quietly becoming bitter?

Is your heart an open door?